Four Azeri Rights Activists Sentenced to More Than 10 Years in Prison for Peaceful Activism

Four Iranian ethnic Azerbaijanis have been issued long prison sentences
for peacefully defending their rights, the Campaign for Human Rights in Iran has
learned.

One defendant, Alireza Farshi, told the Campaign that Branch 1 of the Tehran
Revolutionary Court had sentenced him to 15 years in prison and two years in
exile while three of his colleagues-Akbar Azad, Behnam Sheikhi and Hamid
Manafi-had each been sentenced to 10 years in prison and two years in exile.

The four men were arrested by Intelligence
Ministry agents in 2014 during a peaceful event marking International
Mother Language Day (February 21) and released on bail after being charged
with "forming an illegal group" and "assembly and collusion against national
security."

The written verdict against the four, obtained by the Campaign, alleges that
their activities were "secessionist" in nature. They plan to appeal their
sentences within the 20-day time limit, said Farshi.

Between 16 to 25 percent of Iran's population are Turkish-speaking (different
from the language spoken in Turkey) Azeris living mostly in Iran's northeastern
East and West Azerbaijan, Ardabil and Zanjan Provinces.

Azeri civil rights activists have been fighting, among other discriminatory
policies, a state-imposed ban on Turkish being taught along with the official
Persian language in their schools.

On June 3, 2013, days before he was elected to the presidency, Hassan
Rouhanipledged to
lift restrictions on teaching non-Persian languages, including Turkish and
Kurdish, in state schools and universities.